Breaking and Entering
by zombiekillerzero
Summary: Riku, desperate for a place to live, unknowingly moves in with Sora, whom he makes nervous and uncomfortable. Intrigued, Riku wants to break down Sora's defenses...
1. An Answered Prayer

XD, to get this thing started, this is sort of a gift fic for Uzumaki-sama, who writes better than anyone that I know and has

Few…my first fanfic in a really long while. Well, I won't bore you with a lot of ramblings.

Furthermore, I do not own Kingdom Hearts, it's characters, or anything else Square-affiliated.

Chapter One: An Answered Prayer

--

Oh no.

No _way_.

Riku groaned in disbelief, and had to resist a sudden urge to bash his head into the crumbling wall he was leaning against. When his parents had said they were getting him his own place, he had never expected a luxury apartment, but not _this._ He would have had no problem living somewhere less glamorous than the mansion he'd been raised in; but if he had to live here, he would install a ceiling fan and hang himself.

The apartment was tiny and in desperate need of air freshener. The orange carpet was faded and threadbare; the walls were missing random chunks of plaster and bore several mysterious brown stains. There was a single grimy window with a pane missing; its place filled with flimsy cardboard and a generous amount of duct tape. There was a small closet that reeked of mothballs, a dingy bathroom, and a kitchen so tiny that Riku felt doomed to a life of cold cereal.

Feeling distraught, he plopped himself in the middle of the floor, and sighed, slumping his shoulders. He felt as though he were the victim of a cruel joke, but the punch line just kept going. All of his things, save for a small suitcase with the bare minimum, were arriving the morning of the next day, thus leaving him the option of sleeping on the floor. Feeling anger overcome his shock, he rose and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him, and racing down the stairwell into the warm air outside.

God, he hated his parents. They were lying and deceitful and treated him like an object, one wrought with defects. Of course, this attitude always vanished when company was present, and his family would seem picturesque for a few brief hours; but Riku could always sense the contemptuous glare underneath his mothers beautiful smile, a look that warned him against mistakes, lest he be punished.

His parents ran with a high society crowd, so it was only expected that they produce a godlike child, one who was handsome, talented, and successful. To the public eye, he was everything they'd hoped for. Riku had grown up into a devilishly good-looking young man at the top of his class, a prodigy on the soccer field and the object of every girl's desire. He attended charity events and galas, and had his picture in the papers, but at home, he always seemed to fall short. When he'd informed his tyrannical and obsessive parents that he did not apply for secondary school, they had immediately told him it was time to go.

The giggling of passersby interrupted Riku's musings about his past, and he glared at them. Why should they be so cheerful when he was so miserable? He lived in a dump, his parents hated him, and he was sweating profusely. He was unaccustomed to the heavy heat of the island he now lived on, and his khaki slacks and fitted dress shirt were hardly summer attire. The blazing noonday sun beat down on his fair skin, and he ached for something to pull his hair off of his neck with.

He decided to find somewhere to sit and relax, and contemplate his situation. Though there were several nice looking sidewalk cafes on his aimless walk to nowhere, one in particular caught his eye, probably due to fluorescent umbrellas that shaded several small tables. The over-bright colors were nearly blinding, but it looked like a nice place nonetheless. He chose a table under a pink umbrella, and almost the minute he'd done so, a short woman had flounced over to his table, and placed upon it a menu.

"Hello there, I'm Nozomi, and I'll be waiting on you today!" She grinned widely, brushing aside a strand of reddish hair that had escaped from her messy bun. "What will you be having today?"

Riku, unfamiliar with such a greeting, merely shrugged.

"Lemonade? Coffee? Perhaps some ice cream?" The waitress suggested, peering at him with wide blue eyes.

"Lemonade would be nice. And perhaps a salad, with vinaigrette?"

"Of course! Anything else for you today?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could get a newspaper?" He asked politely.

Nozomi pointed to a red bin across the street, and bounced off to place his order with another pleasant grin.

After paying a quarter and retrieving a paper, Riku sat with one ankle on his knee and skimmed it over. The island wasn't that big, so the paper was thin. Regardless, he flipped through it, finally stopping at the classified ads.

"Looking for something?" Nozomi was back, carrying his order and placing it in front of him.

He glanced up at her, startled. "Nothing in particular." He smiled and thanked her, sipping at his lemonade as his eyes scanned the page. "Lost puppies…car for sale…kittens to a good home…" He muttered, absently twirling a strand of silken silver hair around his index finger. "For a town that relies on tourism for income, there aren't many places for boarders to stay…" He mused, flipping the page. The last section advertised hotels and apartments, including his complex, save for a lonely ad in the corner:

_Room to Rent_

Low Monthly Rate

_First Month's Payment Due at Signing_

_857-2641 for more Info._

Never had another paragraph looked so beautiful. Immediately, he pulled his mobile from his pocket, punching in the numbers with almost numb fingers, praying someone would answer, and that no one else had called about the offer.

"Yeah-_damnit_-hello?" A raspy voice answered, sounding mildly rushed and annoyed.

"Yes, I'm calling about the room advertised in the paper--"

"Well, the advertisement's been changed." The voice cut him off.

"I'm still interested in anything you have-" Riku desperately interrupted.

"I'm renting out the whole_-damnit! -_ floor. House is just too damn big."

"And the rate?" Riku asked, anxious.

"Three hundred a month, and that's with utilities. First month's due up front. Can't pay, too bad."

"And if I can? When can I move in?" Riku sat up straighter, suddenly excited.

"Jeez kid, don't you want to see the place first? I don't even _know_ you." The voice (which Riku had decided, was a male) pointed out. Though his words did knock some sense back into Riku, they did not deter him.

"Of course. My name's Riku, and I am very interested in renting. When can I come by?"

"Right now, if you like." After getting the address and exchanging phone numbers (with a pen loaned by ever-grinning Nozomi) Riku left his money on the table, along with a sizable tip, and practically ran his way back to his soon-to-be-not apartment. He gathered his suitcase, and managed to get his parents deposit back, after only a few moments of arguing with the landlord.

Twenty minutes later, after asking for directions twice, he came across a suburban housing district. The address was for a two-story house, with a rather patchy lawn and a large shaded porch. He stepped up and knocked quietly on the screen door. There was a mild curse from somewhere in the house, and after a moment, someone stumbled into the hall.

"So you're Riku, eh?" He said, pulling open the door and inviting him in.

"Yeah, and you must be Rairune, right?" Riku shook the others hand. His soon to be landlord was a few inches shorter than him, with gangly limbs and a slim physique. Messy blonde hair and brown eyes offset the tan of his face. He was barefoot and clad in green shorts and a black tank, with a utility belt full of tools around his waist.

It took Riku a moment to really take Rairune in, from the delicate build to the curve of the hips, but he realized with blunt embarrassment that _he_ was actually a _she._

"In the flesh." She led him to the kitchen, and leaned against a chair. "Now, first things first, can I trust you in a house with two women?"

"Yeah, completely." Riku was slightly taken aback at this question. How many other people lived here?

"Good. But I warn you, one false move, and you're out, kid." Rairune winked, but it was entirely humorless.

"Sure thing." He nodded his head, and followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"You'll be upstairs. There's a bathroom, and two other rooms. What you do with 'em, I don't care." Rairune allowed Riku a moment to explore the floor, carefully watching him wander with her scrutinizing brown eyes.

"It's really nice. I think I'd like it." Riku said, satisfied. The rooms were spacious and clean; definitely something he could get used to.

"Right. We can do paperwork in the kitchen." Rairune gestured for Riku to lead the way, but he collided with someone, nearly knocking them over. Riku was fast, catching the other person and apologizing. "Sorry about that, didn't see you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just--" The other stopped with a gasp and wriggled out of Riku's grip.

"Sora, did you find the damn fuses?" Rairune asked, rather impatiently.

"Yeah, I was just coming to tell you. They were on the back shelf." The boy, Sora, had turned a brilliant shade of scarlet and had taken to mumbling down at his shoes.

"We've been having some electrical issues. Nothing I can't fix. Hope that doesn't drive you away." Rairune laughed, her raspy voice shaking.

"I wouldn't turn this place down, I've got nowhere else to go." Riku grinned sheepishly.

"Sora, this is Riku. He's going to rent the top floor." The boy flinched as Rairune slapped a hand across his back.

"Fantastic." Sora mumbled, turning and running down the stairs.

"Not much of a talker, is he?" Riku said, staring off in the direction that the other had ran off in.

"Damn kid's usually a chatterbox. Don't know what his problem is today…" Rairune shrugged, brushing past Riku and making her way downstairs. Riku followed, feeling oddly distracted. He wondered which room was Sora's…

Rairune sat him down after retrieving a stack of papers for him to fill out. "Take your time with these, kid." She advised, but not before the lights flickered. "Just holler when you're done, I've gotta get the damn lights to work…" She cursed, and disappeared into what was presumably the basement, leaving him by himself.

Chuckling, Riku carefully filled out each blank, being sure not to make mistakes. He was reviewing them when another person stumbled into the kitchen, and dumped several bags onto a chair.

"I bought groceries for dinner-" She stopped, staring at Riku. There was a moment's awkward silence. "And what, might I ask, are you doing in my kitchen?"

He recognized her as the cheerful waitress he'd met this afternoon, Nozomi, but her disposition now was suspicious and guarded. "I- well, I'm renting a room upstairs. I'm sorry to have startled you." He stood, and extended his hand, being careful to act polite and humble, as he'd been taught. "Riku Shirogane. It's a pleasure, ma'am."

She regarded him carefully for a moment, and took his hand, with a smile. "Well that's wonderful. It's been getting lonely around here for us! And I'm sure Sora will love having another boy around. Living with two women must be driving him a little crazy." Nozomi giggled.

Riku smiled. As hyper as she was, the woman was pleasant and gentile; much unlike his own mother, who was cold and harsh. He brushed back his bangs, still uncomfortable with the heat.

"Can I get you a drink? Of course, you must be parched." The woman bustled around and eventually handed him a glass of iced tea, setting one on the table for herself and heaving her short body into a chair. The two of them sipped quietly for a few moments, before she unceremoniously pulled Riku's rental agreement toward her and began to read it. He lunged for it with an incredulous look, but she merely brushed this off. "All the housemates need to agree on you, you know. But I'm sure you'll be fine." She patted his hip reassuringly.

Feeling awkward with her hand on him, Riku opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the whole house plunged into darkness. This wasn't a big deal, as the late afternoon sun still poured through the windows, but was nevertheless inconvenient.

"…Does this happen often?" he asked.

"No, Rairune is very good with mechanics, and she's been meaning to replace the breaker for some time."

"Rai, what the heck-" Sora came bursting out of his room, which from the look of it had all the curtains drawn. He stopped dead in the kitchen, glancing first at Riku and settling his gaze on his mother. "She killed the power?"

"It'll be back on in a moment, sweetie. But we have more important things at hand!" She grinned, rising and approaching him. "This is my son." She said to Riku, presenting the other boy. "Well, go on sweetie, introduce yourself!"

She had shoved the boy towards Riku, but he lost his balance, and looked for a moment as though he was going to land headfirst on the kitchen floor. By reflex, Riku extended his arms and caught the other boy by the shoulders, sliding his hands down to lightly defined biceps.

"Hello there." Riku said, smirking. "I'm Riku."

"S-Sora." The other replied, steadying himself against Riku and turning a lovely shade of pink. After what felt like a long while, he glanced at the other boy and groaned under his breath.

"We didn't have a chance to properly meet before, but I suppose if I'm going to be staying here, we may as well try to be friends," Riku said, keeping his voice cool. He let his eyes travel to Sora's hands, which had ended up gripping his arms for support. Sora followed Riku's eyes, and let go as if he'd been burned.

"S-Sorry." He stood stock-still, looking everywhere but at Riku and fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Finally, his eyes landed on his mother again. "Is she turning the lights back on soon?"

The adequate response came from the basement stairs as Rairune pounded up them. "Damn breakers older 'n me an' I'll be damned if the fucker can't be fixed!" She was mumbling as she slammed the basement door behind her.

"Lots of trouble Rairune?" Nozomi asked nicely.

The other woman shot a venomous glare at the light bulb on the ceiling, but ignored Nozomi and addressed Riku instead. "Kid, are you finished yet?"

Riku stood and handed her the papers. "Yes ma'am."

"It's Rai."

"Right…Rai. Everything should be in order; I just need…your approval…" he trailed off, his words hitting the table.

"Yeah, yeah. Sora, go distract the kid." Rairune sat in the empty seat, giving the two boys a pointed look before looking over the rental agreement.

Sora gave the back of her head a nasty look before grudgingly gesturing for Riku to follow him. The boys ventured onto the porch, where a few plastic chairs looked battered by age and the paint was peeling. Riku sat down, but Sora leaned against the railing, looking stiff and uncomfortable, his brow drawn.

"Boy…it never gets this hot back where I used to live…" Riku attempted conversation with Sora, who was obviously uncomfortable with him. "Guess I'll have to get more shorts…gonna be pretty difficult shopping around though…"

He trailed off, hoping for a response, but was met with more awkward silence. Sora sighed quietly, closing his eyes against the sun.

"Sora, get in here!" His mother called.

"Oh thank God," he mumbled quietly, not running to the door but still making a hurried exit back into the house.

Riku sat in silence again, allowing his thoughts to drift to the younger boy, and how nice the brief moment of contact between them felt. If Sora was that clumsy, than Riku wasn't sure he minded catching him. His brain went on creating more situations like the one in the kitchen, and he hardly noticed Rairune calling his name, while somewhere in the house a door slammed.

He re-entered the kitchen, relieved to see Nozomi smiling. "Welcome home!" She said, embracing him. He was thrown off-guard; his own mother hardly ever hugged him, what made this woman so eager to do so?

"Yeah, kid, the vote's unanimous. You can stay here soon as you pay the deposit." Rairune said, her voice sounding weary.

"Sure thing," Riku was unable to hide a grin as he pulled out his wallet and hastily handed his landlord the rent. "Man, I can't tell you how much this means. My parents will be pissed!" He said excitedly, but the last statement sobered him. "I mean, they'll be upset with me, but I'm sure they can manage."

Both Nozomi and Rairune were giving him strange looks.

"Never mind." He smiled again, folding his wallet and putting it away. Finally, he had a sanctuary away from his parents and their expectations, and all the occupants were added perks. Nozomi, with her optimistic attitude; Rairune, who was gruff and amusing; and best of all, Sora, who was adorable and from the look of it, vulnerable…

Rairune counted the bills carefully before sliding them into her utility belt. "And tell me, where are you planning on sleeping tonight?" She said, noting after a while that he had not mentioned his plans before moving in.

Riku's small grin and thoughts about Sora faded. Why hadn't he thought of that beforehand? He wracked his brains for a thought, but all that came up was _It took forever to find this place and I forgot to make arrangements beforehand? Idiot!_

At his blank stare, Rairune sighed, and rubbed at her temples. "I 'spose you can sleep on my couch, if you've got no place to crash."

"You mean--stay here?" Riku was nearly weak with relief, but he did not let it show.

"No, I mean sleep outside under the tree; of course here." Her voice was sarcastic, but Riku knew she was joking. "I'm gonna have to learn to put up with you one way or another…"

"I-I don't know how I can thank you." Riku said, sagging against the kitchen wall.

"Just keep up on your rent, pull your own weight, and don't get on my nerves," she said, half grinning.

"Rai, you're a lifesaver."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. But, we got ground rules to discuss."

"Anything you say." Riku said, noticing Nozomi smile again.

"One, Sora and Zo have the first floor. The kitchen is mostly Zo's territory, but you're welcome to it. If you buy food, label it as yours or it's free game to anyone else. The basement is off limits, because that's where I stay. Got all that?"

"Yeah, got it." Riku replied.

"I do most of the cooking around the house. Generally, if you put in towards groceries, I'll include you in meals." This time, it was Nozomi who spoke. She was already taking things out of the fridge, doing so quickly because of the loss of power. "Tonight will be a freebie to celebrate moving in!" She smiled, and Riku was instantly in love with her.

"Thank you very much, ma'am. You're too kind."

"We'll call you for dinner. I'm gonna work on the breaker 'til then." Rairune disappeared downstairs again.

As Nozomi began preparing food, Riku wandered his way around the house while he waited, taking care to check out the floor layout and make a mental map. The front hall led into a den of sort, with an unlit fireplace and a few mismatching chairs placed randomly around the room. The den had two offshoots; one led to a hall with three or four doors, and one led back into the kitchen. He could assume that the other hall had Sora and Nozomi's respective rooms.

The kitchen, aside from the table and chairs, and other appliances, had a sliding glass door that led outside. "Perhaps I'll explore the back yard." Riku flashed a smile in Nozomi's direction and made his way out. The backyard was as pleasant as the rest of the house, with a hammock tied between two large trees and a rickety looking picnic table resting in the shade they cast. An old wooden fence enclosed the large green lawn. Riku smiled again, and sat down on the hammock, chin in his hand.

Everything in the house seemed to be secondhand or shabby, but it was still nice. The place was homey and lived-in, and while Riku noticed its defects, be it old furniture of faded paint, he had no plans to start complaining. His new home was already a thousand times better than the one he last left. The occupants were like his new family, and he felt accepted.

There was, however, the tiny problem of Nozomi's son. He was obviously uncomfortable with Riku's presence, and didn't seem very up to the idea of warming to him. He knew he made Sora nervous, and for reasons other than just being a newcomer. He had seen the way Sora first looked at him, and the way his eyes had traveled over Riku's body when he caught him in the kitchen. Fortunately for Riku, he was gifted in hiding the things he felt about the other boy- things like desire, and burning curiosity.

Sora was a sight to behold, with bright blue eyes, and spiked chocolate hair that turned a faint auburn in the sun. The boys wide blue eyes reminded him of the ocean surrounding the island: carefree and full of wonder. And to think, soon, he would be _sleeping_ in the same house as him…

…At that thought, he remembered that the moving company would be going to place where there would be no Riku. For the second time that day, he pulled out his mobile, and dialed the moving company, telling them about his situation, and the new address. The operator informed him in a fake cheery voice that they would arrive tomorrow, as instructed by his parents.

He lay back on the hammock, staring up at the few wispy clouds above him. The sun was starting to set, painting streaks of orange and pink across the blue. He sighed, thinking he could definitely get used to this.

--

Sora lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and feeling huffy. It was getting near dinnertime, and that would mean he would be forced to be in Riku's presence again. He couldn't stand being around the other, he just got too nervous. He hated the fact that Riku was so handsome, and that he acted like a fool around him. That silver hair framing a pale face with chiseled features, a strong jaw, and eyes like emeralds, and with a body cut from marble. The older boy was clearly out of his league, untouchable.

_Cut it out._ He told himself firmly. _You're in a pseudo-relationship and you must be faithful._ Sora imagined that the voice of the angel sitting on his shoulder, and it wasn't long before a devil countered. _Fat chance, when the man moving in makes your knees weak _and_ your pants tight…_

Shit. The devil had a point. He lay in bed brooding for a while, looking occasionally at the photo on his bedside table. The picture was of Sora's lover, an older man with long, shaggy hair and steely gray eyes. Sora had snuck it one day as his lover read a book, and looked at it too often for his infatuation to be considered innocent. He had ended up paying a price for taking the picture, but the bruise was worth it, in Sora's eyes. Several long moments passed before his mother began calling everyone for dinner.

He sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and sitting up. Running a hand through his messy hair, he entered the kitchen and sat, determined to be as cool and collected as Riku always came off to be.

…But when the other deliberately sat next to him at the table with a smirk, Sora's nerve fled. The presence of Rai and his mom did nothing to distract him; the table was small and he imagined he could feel the heat coming off Riku's body. He chose to observe, eating in silence, his back rigid.

The other boy was politely conversing with his mother and Rairune about how wonderful the food was, and how he was enjoying his stay already.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Riku? Won't she miss you with you being so far from the mainland?" Sora's mother said slyly, refilling his glass of iced tea.

The boy laughed. "Girls…bore me." He gave a devilish smirk, and sipped at his drink. "Though I do hope to meet someone rather…interesting…during my stay." At this last part, he moved his leg under the table, and rubbed his ankle against Sora's.

The other boy choked, blood rushing to his face. He dropped his hamburger on his plate and slapped at his chest in an attempt to clear his throat. Not only was he panicked at the food stuck in his throat, but he knew that he did _not_ imagine that; Riku just hit on him, and in front of his own mother.

"Honey, are you alright?" Nozomi said concernedly, leaning across the table.

"Jeez kid, take it easy." Rairune said between mouthfuls. Sora could not tell whom she addressed, though it could have been directed at either boy. Riku's little move was slick, but from Sora's experience, Rai had an uncommonly good eye.

Riku thumped Sora on the back, dislodging his bite of food. Sora coughed once more, and gave his mom shaky thumbs up. "Sorry, dunno what happened." He shot Riku a pointed look, as the other boy had deliberately left his hand resting gently on Sora's back. With a handsome smile, Riku removed his hand, and Sora found himself extremely annoyed.

"So kid, got a job yet?" Rairune was leaning over the table, watching Riku carefully. She had finished her meal, and was now helping herself to what was undoubtedly alcohol, some liquid that she poured from a flask on her hip.

"No, I'll begin looking tomorrow. I haven't really got any skills…unless soccer counts. I played in high school."

"Yeah, you got the build for sports," Rairune said, taking a long sip. "This one here gets pretty into it, too."

"Yes, Sora runs for the track team at his high school." Nozomi practically beamed.

"What events?" Riku asked Sora, watching the boy intently.

"Long jump, 1600 meter relay, 100 meter dash." The other replied flatly, standing and taking his dirty dishes to the sink. He shot his mother a pleading look, and she wordlessly dismissed him to his room, to which he disappeared gratefully.

"Charming boy." Riku muttered, smiling again.

"He's really just very shy. Let him warm up to you, and you'd think you'd known him all your life." Nozomi declared, standing and gathering the dishes. Riku brought his own to the sink, setting them down thoughtfully; quite aware that Rairune's eyes were still on him.

"How long did you say you've been living here?" He asked, drying off the plates Nozomi was handing to him.

"Oh, we've been here for nearly two years now. Sora still has to get through his last year of school before we can make our next move."

"Move?"

"To decide where Sora will go to college, and how to pay for it, and to get our affairs in order." Nozomi said matter-of-factly.

"I see." Riku dried the last plate, handing the clean stack to Nozomi to put away. After a long silence between the two of them, Riku smiled at the older women and made his way upstairs. He spent a long while deciding where to put his things, and finally reached the decision that it didn't matter too much. The room he sat in had a closet and a window overlooking the backyard, and seemed perfect for a bedroom. He could paint the walls and decorate the way he _wanted_.

He sighed, sprawling on the floor, and breathing in the faint scent of cleaner. This whole freedom thing was remarkably easy to get used to.

As much he wanted to just lay on the floor and enjoy doing nothing, it was getting late, and the movers were coming early with his things. He meandered downstairs, stopping at the basement door. The house was quiet; he could see Nozomi lounging on the hammock outside in the settling twilight, conversing with Rairune, who was at the picnic table, smoking. There was no sign of Sora, but he was surely in his room.

Venturing down to the basement, the area gave Riku reason to wonder why everything in the house was so shabby. It was carpeted and nicely furnished, and divided into three rooms. The one he entered was obviously her bedroom; the bed stood across from the stairs underneath a window. It seemed she had anticipated he would come downstairs; a blanket and pillow were set expectantly on the couch. Next to the couch was a door leading to a workout room, set up with a weight set and treadmill, and an entertainment center. The last room had its entrance covered with a sheet; Riku felt a little wary at looking in there, seeing as he had just moved in. He didn't want to violate her privacy. He decided instead to just call it a night, and settled himself comfortably on her couch.

There wasn't much else to do but sleep, as the power was off and the lights were fading fast. His thoughts strayed to his landlord, and the odd impression he'd gotten. She wasn't quick to trust and was protective of her tenants. Riku had been confused with her at first, but he boiled it down to the mix-up in gender. Her voice was low and gravelly, and she certainly didn't act like a lady, but she was built like a girl and Riku could tell she was tender beneath her rough exterior.

He knew he was musing in order to not think about Sora, but his thoughts eventually betrayed him. Between Sora and Rairune and all the other things he would encounter in his new life, he got the feeling that things might get bumpy.

He sighed comfortably, again thinking about before when Sora had held onto him.

Riku figured that if things like that kept happening, he could certainly handle everything quite nicely.

--

Well, there you have it. Indeed, PLOT!

Will Riku and Sora ever bond? Well, readers, I'm making you work for it. You'll have to stay tuned for the next chapter, sure to be filled with exciting twists and turns and what not!

I'm a bit rusty with my fiction skills, but as always, reviews are welcome! Flames will be deleted as I don't necessarily care about them…

XD; Until next time….


	2. Not by Choice

Chapter Two:

Hey again, readers!

Sorry about the slight delay, I've been swamped at work and obtained a recent injury to my arm, and I'm in the process of moving as well, so I'm cramped for time.

Despite my excuses, we're back with chapter two. I'd planned on waiting a while to post this, but it's gotten a good response overall. Thanks for all the support guys! Alright, let's dive back in to this little adventure…

!!Warning! Slight slash to follow!!

Chapter Two: Not By Choice

Bright sunlight filtered through the block glass window above Rairune's couch, attacking Riku's sleepy eyes and bringing him to consciousness. By the clock on his mobile, it was just before seven. Stretching stiff muscles, he rose and quietly made his way upstairs, as Rairune was sprawled on her bed, fast asleep. The house was empty and quiet, but Riku still smoothed his hair and checked to make sure his clothes weren't too rumpled. He made his way upstairs; changing into the only other set of clothes he'd brought with him in his suitcase and spending some time getting ready.

Opening the windows, Riku welcomed the morning breeze, feeling anxious. He no doubt had a full day's work ahead of him, but he wanted to get everything moved into the room down the hall in order to be able to paint the bedroom. He entered the room, thinking about color schemes, and was so absorbed in his thoughts that he did not hear the sound of a throat clearing.

A pause, and then, "Riku?"

Sora was on the bottom stair, his eyes fixed on a spot on the wall.

"…Hi…Sora." Riku descended a few stairs, trying to meet the other boys' gaze in the shadow of the stairwell.

"Mom said I have to help you move your stuff in." He said through slightly gritted teeth. "She left breakfast on the table."

Riku smiled softly. "That sounds nice. I'm pretty hungry-" Sora had turned around and walked out on Riku's sentence, leaving him feeling quite offended. Huffily, he followed after him down the stairs and into the kitchen, sitting across from him with a glare.

Sora was eating pancakes and syrup as though nothing had happened. Despite this cold behavior, a plate was set out for Riku, along with a glass of juice. The two boys ate in silence, with Riku casting furtive glances at Sora every few minutes. He found the food to be scrumptious and filling, providing him with energy. "Your mother is an excellent cook." Riku said coolly, standing and taking his dishes to the sink. He could feel Sora's eyes watching him wash his plate and glass, but decided against reacting. If Sora felt like playing games, Riku was not going to participate.

The silence was almost palpable, with Sora staring determinedly at the table and Riku fiddling with his mobile. After a long stretch of quiet, Sora sighed and looked at the other boy, who was distractedly punching at buttons on his phone.

The truth was, as much as he loathed admitting it, Sora ached for conversation. They could have talked about the weather or moving or _anything_, but the awkward quiet enveloping the room was suffocating. On the other hand, he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Riku by revealing that he had nothing worthwhile to say. If Riku found out how bland Sora was, he'd want nothing to do with him.

A surreptitious _click!_ distracted Sora from his self-loathing. Riku's phone was pointed at him, and it was only then that he noticed the tiny lens on the back, indicating a camera. "Did you just take my picture?"

"You looked deep in thought. It was kind of cute." Riku smirked.

"You're a class A jerk." Sora pouted, crossing his arms.

Before Riku could come up with something properly snappy, they were interrupted by the crunch of gravel on the driveway, followed the rumbling of a second vehicle. "Ready to get to work?" He asked Sora with a half-smile, exiting outside to meet with the movers.

He signed a few papers, and the driver reminded him that they'd be back for the vans before the last ferry left for the mainland that evening. Sora had stepped onto the porch, gawking at the amount of boxes filling the back of the van in the driveway; it was obvious that Riku's plan was to work him to death.

Vaguely, his shoulder devil reminded him of the situations irony. He was normally reprimanded for mouthing off, but now it seemed he would be punished for saying nothing at all. He rolled his eyes as Riku began to pull down the topmost boxes.

It was going to be a very long morning.

--

It had taken almost three, very warm hours, but both boys had managed get all the boxes upstairs into the room at the end of the hall, as per Riku's plan. They had actually worked quite well together; Riku only speaking to give instruction and Sora only bothering to ask where something went or what Riku wanted him to do next.

"Twenty bucks says you don't need half of this crap," Sora panted, sitting on a heavy box and wiping sweat off his forehead.

"Well, that's twenty dollars to you, then." Riku sat against the wall to catch his breath and tossed his wallet to Sora. It skittered on the floor, flopping open.

"Yeah, real funny, jerk."

"Hey, I'm serious. My parents are incredibly materialistic. They're convinced that this shit is what keeps me happy." A dark look crossed Riku's handsome face.

Sora was rather shocked, both at the fact that Riku had sworn in front of him, and at the discovery that anyone so obviously pampered could possibly be unhappy. "They must have spoiled you." He said jealously.

"Far from it. They considered sending me here punishment, but it was the best thing they could have ever done." Riku closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, and the two of them settled back into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. "We should get the other things moved in. Maybe Rai can help with the heavy stuff."

"She'll be busy." Sora replied curtly, standing to give Riku back his wallet.

_So much for conversation. _He sighed inwardly.They were back to being huffy to each other, apparently. He took the wallet from Sora, ignoring the jump in his stomach when their fingers brushed, and tucked it back in his pocket. "Fine then. We'll haul it in and order pizza for lunch. Sound good?"

"I don't have any munny." Sora mumbled angrily.

"Consider it thanks for the help." Riku slapped the brunette on the shoulder and walked back downstairs, simply too hot and tired to argue.

Sora touched his shoulder, at a loss for words, again feeling the odd sensation that Riku's hand was still on him. "You don't have to do that, you know!" He called, following him down the stairs and nearly stumbling at the bottom. Riku brushed him off with a roll of his eyes and continued outside. "No, I'm serious, forget about it." Sora grabbed the boy by the arm, unsure of what he was doing.

"It's not that big a deal, Sora." The other boy winced at the sound of his name, and Riku decided against his first impulse of jerking out of Sora's grip. "It's just pizza."

"It wasn't my choice to help you. My mother said-"

"So? Doesn't mean I can't still be grateful." Riku's eyes smiled gently at Sora.

With that, Sora's fingers slid from around Riku and dropped to his side. Riku smiled, and disappeared into the back of the truck.

_You're ridiculously stubborn, _Sora's shoulder angel whispered pompously, and he glowered at the first thing in his line of vision, that being a pebble on the porch.

"Are you planning on helping me move this couch or what?" Riku's voice called to him, tinted with laughter.

"Yeah, coming." He kicked the pebble, which proceeded to bounce off the porch rail and roll into the flowerbed, forgotten.

--

The rest of the furniture was moved in without incident, leaving both boys exhausted and sweaty. The couch and mattresses took longer than he expected and took a while to maneuver through the stairwell. His desk was thankfully disassembled into boxes, making it the easiest thing to move. However, they had ended up taking his dresser apart and making several trips up and down the stairs just to get it in the house.

Sora had finally hauled an end table upstairs just after the clock hit noon, and decided that he'd had enough. "There, that's everything. You can move anything else on your own." He said flatly as he entered the room, only to find Riku standing shirtless in front of a fan that he'd gotten from one of the boxes and placed in the window. Blue eyes wide, Sora froze.

"Sure, whatever." The silver haired boy replied. He looked not unlike a dog with its head out a car window, as the cool air breezed over his body. "Dial up a pizza place, will you?" Sora did not respond, just stood and stared, drinking in the image of Riku, sweat running down his muscles and his hair blowing in the breeze, like something out of a magazine.

"Here, just use my phone." Riku straightened and pulled out his phone, presenting it to Sora, who was blinking rapidly in an effort not to blush. He accepted the device if only to have an excuse to _not_ look at Riku as he slid his shirt back on. The phone felt warm and light in his clammy hands, and Sora did his best not to notice the picture of himself on the display. He dialed quickly and handed it back to Riku, who cheerily ordered two large pizzas and charged them to a credit card.

"So what's in the other truck?" Sora said airily.

"My car. I just need to get it down the ramp, but it can wait until after lunch." The other replied casually. "What's Rai so busy doing that I couldn't bother her?"

Sora found his voice strangely quiet. "Work." Despite the blowing fan, he was sweating a great deal and kept his eyes rooted to a box labeled **KITCHENWARES**, unsure of where to steer the conversation. He heard a tiny "oh," from Riku, and the two settled into silence.

He began to watch as the other boy started organizing the many boxes, listening carefully for the pizza to arrive, wishing for some other distraction to pop up and call him downstairs. A run sounded really nice, perhaps a stop over at Squall's in the evening…

"Lunch is here!" Riku announced, peering out the window and spotting a girl on a moped bearing the name of the pizza company, Moogle's.

"I'll get it!" Sora dashed from the room and down the stairs, where the deliverer stood, hand poised on the doorbell.

"Sora! I didn't know this was for _you!_" She shouted as the boy opened the screen door.

"Hey Yuffie. Yeah, the new roommate wanted lunch-"

"Ooohh!" Yuffie squealed, hugging Sora. "This is new! When she'd get here? What's she like?"

Sora cleared his throat, feeling awkward. "**He** got here last night. He's an arrogant rich kid…acts like we're best buds…" He knew what he said wasn't the complete truth, but it was better to let others think he hated Riku than let on to his attraction.

"I'm sure you'll get to like him." Yuffie patted his shoulder soothingly.

"Not by choice." Sora scoffed. "Mom's practically forcing me to spend time with him, get him 'acquainted'." He cast his eyes toward the kitchen, hoping Rai would come upstairs.

The two were interrupted as Riku came down the stairs, saying something about forgetting the tip. He politely introduced himself to Yuffie, who was shooting Sora a sarcastic look that clearly said _Oh yeah; you just_ loathe_ him, don't you_….

Yuffie left to make other deliveries, handing the pizza's to Sora, who turned on his heel to the kitchen, feeling guilty. He was pretty sure Riku had been eavesdropping on their conversation and didn't want to see the look in those brilliant eyes; a look of rejection and anger. The two sat at the table, eating the pizza in yet another silence.

"Can I ask a question?" Sora murmured between mouthfuls.

Riku looked up in surprise. "I suppose so."

The other boy chewed for a moment, before meeting Riku's eyes. "What are you _doing_ here?" He sounded exasperated.

Riku chuckled. "This move was my punishment for not applying to secondary school. It wasn't exactly my decision."

Sora replied with a confused look. "Why send you _here_, of all places? Surely all that munny could've got you a nicer place."

Riku paused. "You're a little stuck on the munny factor."

"Well you've obviously got it, why didn't you convince your parents to send you somewhere…well…else?" Sora bit into his crust, looking away.

"I think they figure that if I'm not somewhere prestigious, I'll grow to hate it and beg to come home." Riku sighed, grabbing another slice of pizza. "But this place is…comfortable. Homey." His voice had taken on a wistful tone.

"Wanna trade places?" Sora said darkly, his eyes narrowed. This left Riku at a loss for words. If only Sora had an idea of how he'd grown up, he might understand Riku's relief at being away from all of it. Instead, the younger boy seemed almost angry that he wasn't miserable.

Rairune, who traipsed through the basement door, a lit cigarette between her lips, thankfully interrupted them. Sora seemed relieved. "Hey Rai! We-Riku, got pizza."

She exhaled a cloud of smoke, eyes swiveling toward Riku. "You'll wanna start looking for a job soon, kid. Want ads are on the counter." Taking a long drag, she motioned toward a newspaper sitting with an empty coffee mug. She opened a cabinet, grabbed an ashtray, and headed back toward the basement, stopping briefly to squeeze Sora's shoulder before disappearing again.

Riku found himself determined not to remain quiet. "Feel like showing me around town? We could drive if you gave directions."

"Maybe later. I have things to do." Sora stood, pushing in his chair. "Thanks for the pizza." He closed the box, but before he could leave, the phone on the wall rang, causing him to jump.

"Hello?" The brunette answered tentatively, his cheeks pink. "No. Yes. I know." He sighed, but a grin crossed his face as he hung up the phone. The boy said nothing as he turned to leave.

"Sora?" Riku's voice caught him in mid-step. The urge was unexplainable, but he felt almost desperate. "Do you really want me to…leave you alone?"

Never had he seen anyone look so caught off guard, nor had any conversation felt so uncomfortable. "Never mind. Sorry." He ran a hand through his hair, and retreated upstairs to sulk in the heat.

--

The evening passed considerably quickly for Sora, who had done his best to avoid Riku and not to let his thoughts wander to an image of him shirtless. He greeted his mother upon her arrival and sat with her and Rai while they ate the leftover pizza. Despite his best efforts to change the subject, they only wanted to discuss Riku in hushed tones, as though afraid he might overhear them. However, he was strangely absent from dinner and it seemed as though he would stay upstairs all night.

At precisely nine, Sora crept through the house on tiptoe, leaving through the front door and began to jog, his worn sneakers carrying him down a familiar path of side streets and shadows cast as dusk fell. He picked up speed once he left his neighborhood, practically sprinting across town. The occasional stumble on gravel or wave to a passerby did little to slow him down, but a check of his watch showed it be almost quarter to ten by the time he ended up in front of a large, secluded house on the waterfront.

A hesitant finger rung the bell, but the door opened instantly, and Sora found himself being yanked inside by the scruff of his shirt.

"You're late," a silken voice in his ear made him shudder. The door made no noise as it closed behind Sora and a much taller, well built man clad in leather, leaving them flush against each other; Sora's ragged breathing the only sound.

The slap came before he could brace himself, and Sora cried out, the sting of Squall's hand burned into his cheek. "Don't let it happen again."

"Y-Yes, sir." Breaking the rules, especially being late, usually meant punishment. "I had a lot of work-" The excuse was cut off as Squall pushed Sora against the hallway wall, crushing their lips together in an almost feral kiss. Sora felt his eyes flutter in pleasure as Squall's shaggy hair tickled his neck, and obediently opened his mouth as the older man began to ravish Sora's. Hands began to wander, to grope and scratch, and Sora moaned, breaking away from the kiss for air.

"Upstairs. And keep quiet." Squall kept his body pressed against Sora's for a moment, making no effort to hide his evident arousal before turning and walking up the stairs, steely eyes staying on Sora until he was out of view.

The younger boy licked his lips, quite aware he would be late coming home, hoping someone would notice and leave the front door unlocked. If not, he would have to climb the tree in the backyard and sneak in through Riku's bedroom window.

'_Do you really want me to leave you alone?_' The thought of the innocent question crossed his mind, and he felt his shoulder angel tug unexpectedly on his heartstrings. _Stop being such a goddamn prick, Sora. _

The devil countered, in the form of Squall's voice, now angry. "Sora. Now."

He snapped out of his musings, and shut Riku out of his mind, trying desperately not to notice how heavy his conscience felt as he climbed the stairs. Squall was waiting.

--

Well now! That concludes chapter two.

I made Leon a bit abusive, I know, but elaboration on this mysterious affair will follow later. You'll have to stick around for all the juicy details! As always, reviews are welcome! See you again in chapter three!


	3. Cracks in the Foundation

…And…we're back! I'm SO sorry about the gigantic delay…I started working a second job and am going to school full time now, so I write when I have time to squeeze it in, but thanks for all the support, faithful readers!

I've gotten some really nice reviews thus far, and they've really helped to motivate me! I'm pretty excited to dig deeper into this plot…this chapter, we'll hopefully see a lot of development in the various relationships in the story. I'm hoping not to make this TOO incredibly long.

But enough rambling! Let's dig in!

Chapter Three: Cracks in the Foundation

--

Oh, the messes Sora found himself in.

He had no energy to run home, as much as he knew he should. It was already well past midnight and he had no reasonable alibi to give to anyone who might still be up, namely Rairune.

Rairune was the only person who knew about Squall, and time and again she had warned him about getting involved. If she happened to be awake, he knew he would have to explain himself, and it wouldn't be easy to lie.

So, dragging his feet, he ended up at his front door after a long and tiring walk. His muscles were begging for sleep, and he wanted nothing more than to appease them, and just go for a long run tomorrow. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on the knob, and took a deep breath, for luck.

The sliding of metal seemed like thunder as Sora winced and opened the door, finding the hallway to be dark and empty, much to his relief. A rumbling in his stomach stopped him mid-step, and, after listening for a moment, he decided on a quick ­pit-stop to the kitchen before bed.

He'd only made it a few steps before he heard the spin of a lighter and Rairune's deep inhale on a cigarette. His attempt at turning around slowly and tiptoeing back to his room was foiled by a gruff "You're 'bout as subtle as a sack 'a bricks, kid." and a long exhale of smoke.

"…Hey Rai." Knowing he had no choice, he entered the kitchen to find her sitting at the table, tipped back in her chair, staring at the ceiling.

"Not only are you very obvious," She allowed her chair legs to hit the floor, to better look at Sora. "But, frankly, you're a friggin' moron."

His eyes followed the smoke curling from her cigarette. "…I'm too tired for a lecture, Rai."

"Really." Rairune took a deep drag before flicking the ash from the end of the cigarette. She placed it carefully on the ashtray before pushing the chair across from her out with one foot. "Sit down."

"I'm going to bed, Rai, I've got to get up early tomorrow." Sora protested. _This wouldn't happen if you _listened _every once in a while. _His shoulder angel again.

"Sora, you're a bright kid. And this school-girl crush you've got is only gonna keep holding you back." At Sora's dirty look, she sighed, and picked up the cigarette, inhaling deeply. "But I ain't your mother." She stood, exhaling a long cloud of smoke before grabbing the ashtray. Slowly, she walked to the basement door, leaving a trail of smoke behind her. "It'd just kill me to see you get hurt."

At this, Sora's arm gave a throb where Squall had been forceful, and he felt a sudden sense of deep guilt.

After a moment, he was alone, and exited quickly to his room. Careful not to slam the door despite his bitter anger, he plopped down on the bed, not even bothering to remove his shoes.

Rai was not often sincere, and viewed almost everything with a sarcastic eye. She wasn't one to take things too seriously, normally brushing them off with a joke or otherwise ignoring the little things completely, so Sora knew it was only right to listen when she really had something to say.

_She's right you know; she's not your mother. _

Sora rolled over and kicked off his shoes, doing his best to ignore these angry thoughts. Rairune just cared about him; there was no crime in that. Even though it really _wasn't_ her business…

_Rai doesn't understand. _His shoulder devil soothed. _What you're doing with Squall makes you happy. Shouldn't you be happy? Don't you think you _deserve_ it?_

Sora's sleepy brain couldn't help but agree. He did deserve a little something nice after all the things he'd been through. Rai _couldn't_ understand.

He knew his shoulder angel was about to respond, but he drifted to sleep, muting the little voice, comfortable in his justification.

--

Blue. Blues and silvers and a touch of black later, and Riku was _finally _done painting his room. It had taken two days and a lot of work, but he was satisfied with the way things had turned out. Several times, he'd considered asking Sora for help, but every time he went downstairs, it seemed that he was not home. He'd often stood in front of the boy's door, tempted to knock, but the room seemed silent and empty, and more and more, Sora's yellow tennis shoes were missing from the front hallway, indicating his absence.

Riku felt that he'd handled the awkward moment the other day quite poorly, and was intent on clearing the air as soon as possible. This was proving to be difficult, as he not only had to finish unpacking, but Rairune was hinting heavily that he needed to find a job, and soon.

He'd gotten his bed set up, and had deciphered the instructions to assembling his desk (which, as it turned out, was not as simple as one might think). So far, he still had a lot of work to do before he'd be completely settled.

His parents had packed him a lot of stuff he didn't think he would ever use, namely a box of kitchen appliances, his keyboard, and various other bulky and expensive things they'd bought him.

To solve this problem, Riku was sorting things into two piles: "Stuff He Wanted" and "Things to Mail Back Home." This speeded up the unpacking process and gave him a little more time to look for a job. He'd been cruising around the island in his car, but he hadn't found many openings, and none that he had the skills for; most of the jobs were in the fish market.

It was over lunch the next day that he finally had a breakthrough. Nozomi had made egg salad and left it in the fridge, and Riku was enjoying a sandwich and juice when Rairune came upstairs and plopped herself down next to him.

"Think I got somethin' that might interest you, kid." She pushed her sweaty bangs off her forehead; it was apparent that she'd been busy.

"I'm listening…"

"Friend 'o mine runs a bar downtown, she's lookin' for a busboy. Willin' to meet with you this afternoon."

"Really? That's great! What time?" Where is it? Can you show me?" Riku was talking a mile a minute; excited after his long and fruitless job search.

"Woah, slow down, kiddo." Rairune stood and poured herself a glass of juice. "I'll give you the address, but I ain't got time to head down there with you." She took a long drink.

"I could show him where it is." Sora's voice, hesitant and quiet, drifted in from the hall doorway.

Both occupants of the kitchen looked toward him in shock. Neither one of them had had any interaction with Sora for nearly two days; and now here he was, throwing himself at their feet.

Rairune spoke first. "Sure kid. Take him over to The Nocturne around three." There was an unfamiliar softness to her voice as her she clapped him on the shoulder and disappeared downstairs again, leaving the boys alone.

"Could we maybe drive? I'm too tired to walk." Sora addressed the floor, leaning against the doorway. Indeed, the boy looked like he hadn't gotten much rest lately; his hair was more disheveled than usual and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Sure." The word came out soft, barely audible, but Riku felt sure that Sora's lip curved into a half-smile.

Without another word, Sora left for his room, and Riku began cleaning up the kitchen. He figured he should change into something presentable before leaving…all the better that Sora see him looking at his best. Maybe he could take him out to lunch somewhere and cheer him up.

As he went upstairs to his freshly painted room, still full of boxes, he reasoned that it was the best idea he'd had all week.

--

Sora was quieter than usual on the way to the bar, but he enjoyed the short drive, and settled himself comfortably in the front seat of Riku's sporty convertible. He spoke only to give directions, and spent the rest of the time lazily watching the scenery go by.

During his long, weaving runs through the city proper and the woods beyond, he never took much time to look at anything, just the repeating cycle of his feet appearing and disappearing on the pavement. It was nice to sit back and just watch the houses and shops pass by as Riku drove and played quiet music.

"The Nocturne is the third building on the left of the next street." Sora closed his eyes briefly as Riku nodded and accelerated down the street before parking and killing the engine.

"Wanna come inside with me?" Riku asked, pulling the keys from the ignition.

"I'd rather wait here." Sora replied, but he had no energy to be snappy. He merely sounded tired, and for once, he didn't feel like being rude to Riku.

"Sure. I'll leave the radio on for you." He put the keys back in and turned them so the music started again. "I'll try and be quick." Gently and carefully, he touched Sora's shoulder. Surprisingly, the boy didn't pull away, but closed his eyes again and settled himself back into the seat.

Riku exited the car and found himself in front of The Nocturne. The building itself was only two stories, but was painted a deep blue; it's name in swirling neon red across the front. He pushed the door open, finding the bar empty, save for a tall woman sitting at a table, frowning at some papers.

"I'll assume you're Riku?" She was young and dressed in tight black, with short grey hair gelled into an up-do, crimson eyes regarding him behind wire-rimmed glasses. "Paine."

"Excuse me?" Riku placed his hands behind his back, and bit his lip.

"I'm Paine…the owner?" She stood and gestured for him to sit. "You're application is on the table. Fill it out and get back to me." Gathering her papers, she went and sat at the bar to continue her work.

The application was quick, and after a short interview, Paine's mouth curved into a sly smile. "You're quite the charmer. I'm sure the ladies will love you." She shook his hand and patted him on the back. "We'll start you on Friday, get you oriented. Be here at four. Now, if you wouldn't mind…I have work to do." And with that, she sent him on his way, sitting at the table again.

He returned to his car feeling pleased. Sora was slumped against the car door, and made no acknowledgement of Riku's return until he started the engine.

"I borrowed your cell phone. Sorry." Sora held out the phone, and looked at Riku with bloodshot eyes.

He reached out and touched Sora's shoulder again. "Let's go somewhere and eat. You need cheering up." Riku said firmly, backing out. He wouldn't prod at whatever was wrong with Sora, but he knew how shitty it must be not to be able to talk about it. "Maybe a happy meal might do you some good."

Sora blinked as they turned into a fast-food burger joint. "You're really something." His hesitantly grateful tone made Riku smile as they pulled through the drive thru. Neither one made eye contact with the other as the car went silent and Riku drove them to the sea wall with their food.

The two boys ate in silence, but Sora devoured his meal, unaware of how hungry he really was. Running to and from Squall's every night and then exhausting himself while he was over was beginning to take its toll.

"So…what did you need my cell phone for?" Riku sipped at his milkshake, staring at the water lapping against the break wall.

"I had to call my tutor." Sora said quietly, still eating.

"Is that where you go every night? Tutoring?" Riku looked at him sideways in apparent disbelief.

"We can't all be hotshots, you know. Some of us need…help." He trailed off, sliding his hands inside the sleeves of his hoodie.

Riku sighed in response, starting the car and taking them back home. The drive back seemed much shorter in comparison, as Sora sat up straight and gave curt suggestions on the route to take. By the time the two had pulled into the driveway, the atmosphere had again turned tense between them.

"Look, I won't pretend to know what's wrong with you, or even try to figure it out." Riku pulled the keys out of the ignition, and let his eyes rest on Sora's slim figure. "And I get that you're not into me." His voice softened. "Just…I'm always upstairs." With that, he gently squeezed Sora's knee and got out of the car.

"In case your 'tutor' calls." Riku tossed his cell sarcastically into Sora's lap and walked up the driveway, determined not to look at the other boy.

Eyes narrowed, Sora got out of the car and slammed the door, seething. Riku had already entered the house, but there was no WAY he was going to let some hotshot pretty boy talk down to him like that.

Sora rushed into the house after Riku, taking the stairs two at a time and catching the other boy on the landing. Roughly, Sora pushed Riku against the wall, and looked him square in the face, blue eyes blazing.

"What the hell are you-"

"Stop toying with me, Riku!" Sora had him by the neck of his shirt, and gripped him so that there was hardly a hand's width between them.

"Sora, calm down." It would have been easy to wriggle out of Sora's grip, as Riku was both taller and stronger than the other boy, but the wrong move would have sent him tumbling down the stairs.

"Then just leave me alone!" He pushed Riku harder against the wall, pinning him with his body. "I'd be better if you would just leave me _alone_!"

They were now so close that Riku could feel Sora's breath on his face, could feel the race of the other's heart, could feel his mind clouding, his reasoning deserting him as he closed the miniscule distance between them and pressed his lips firmly against Sora's frowning mouth.

For a moment, the brunette became stiff, and then, Sora seemed to melt against him, his reedy body softening as he hesitantly kissed back, and Riku slid an arm around his waist, gently touching the small of his back. The younger boy responded well, groaning quietly, and Riku took that as a sign to go further, eagerly pushing his tongue against Sora, who willingly opened his mouth and allowed Riku dominance, losing himself in the kiss. He barely noticed when Riku moved and began to kiss his very sensitive neck, biting with gentle pressure and trailing his hands down to Sora's belt.

The other boy sighed in pleasure, bending his neck to give Riku greater access, and sliding his arms around him to bring him closer, shivering despite the heat of the upstairs as Riku moved back up for another kiss, with one hand groping Sora's ass, the other-

_brzzzzzzzzt! brzzzzzzzzzzt!_

The cell phone.

Sora broke away, breathing heavily, remembering that he'd stuffed the phone in his pocket, and pulled it out thankfully. The caller ID showed an unknown number, but he recognized it with panic as Squall's.

"Gonna answer that?" Riku's voice was low and teasing, as his hand trailed across Sora's back. "Allow me." His other hand took the phone, and to Sora's horror, flipped it open and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Sora? Whose phone is this?" It was an older man, and he sounded displeased. Riku did not reply, but instead shot Sora a questioning look.

"This isn't Sora. Where is he?" The man was edgy. Riku placed the handset against Sora's ear.

"Mr. Leonhart, I-" Sora's breathing was ragged, and he completely separated himself from Riku's embrace, snatching the phone with clammy hands.

"You will be here at nine, and you will be punished for this." Though he'd stepped away, Riku could still hear the voice on the other end.

Sora closed the phone and placed it in Riku's outstretched hand. "This never happened. Don't talk to me." He raced downstairs, leaving Riku half-hard and very confused. "Sora?"

The other boy pounded down the stairs, his face burning. _I think the phrase "what the fuck." sums this up nicely._ Sora could feel his shoulder angel shaking its head, and wholeheartedly agreed.

--

After several hours of staying firmly locked in his room, Sora had run to Squall's house as usual, and now found himself standing nervously at the door. A check of his watch showed it to be 8:56; better that he be early to avoid further punishment.

His relationship with Squall was complicated; he could barely remember how things had gotten this far. Sora had never been the greatest student, and after failing a number of tests in Mr. Leonhart's class, the man had suggested that he come over for "outside help."

Sora had always been attracted to his math professor, and the prospect of being in his home had filled him with hope that something might happen between them. After all, if the attraction wasn't mutual, wouldn't Mr. Leonhart have just signed him for after school tutoring? On his first night there, after a very tense hour, Sora had very stupidly thrown himself at Squall, who hungrily took him and made him deserve.

But this was all about sex. Sora was never allowed to spend the night or even cuddle afterwards. Bringing up further intimacy usually got him hit and sent home, and Sora supposed that was his problem lately: he was desperately, horribly lonely. He even tried his best to deal with Squall's harsh and abusive behavior, but he was wearing thin.

The door opened during his thoughts, and Sora's eyes trailed up Squall's body, and he felt his stomach drop. Squall looked angry, and roughly yanked the boy inside. As usual, the door closed behind him and left him trapped in the foyer.

"Who have you told about this?" Squall was gripping his arm, hard, and sounded infuriated.

This. Not _us._

"N-nobody!" Sora groaned, Squall was really hurting him.

"Don't-" He cupped Sora's chin, "-lie to me." He went silent for a moment, and Sora thought that maybe Squall was just playing, that this was some sort of foreplay-

_smack! _Sora was nearly knocked off his feet with the force that Squall hit him across the face.

"And just what the fuck is this?" Squall grabbed him by his hair, yanking his head up and pointing at something on Sora's neck.

Shit. Riku must have marked him.

"It's nothing, I-" His words were lost as Squall grabbed him around the throat and slammed him against the wall.

"Slut." The word was hissed venomously, slicing through the last shred of Sora's dignity. "Get out." Squall released him and shoved him aside, storming upstairs.

Sora fell and coughed, feeling tears streaming down his face. There was no recovering his relationship from this.

He staggered to his feet, managing to make his way out the door. Slowly, achingly, he walked away from the house, not daring to look back, just in case Squall was watching him from the window.

He finally turned out of view of the house, nearly collapsing when he saw a familiar silver convertible parked on the street. Sora stopped dead in his tracks, not wanting Riku to see him like this, but not wanting to be alone.

The car pulled out of its spot, and drove up next to him, the passenger door opening. Sora hesitantly got in, not looking at Riku, though he desperately wanted to.

Riku said nothing, merely leaned across Sora, and shut the door. Briefly, he grasped the other boy's hand before turning around and beginning the drive home.

As the car got further from Squall's, Sora leaned against the door, and finally let himself go, crying with all his might, not caring what Riku might think.

When the car stopped at a red light, Riku placed a warm hand across Sora's back, doing his best to comfort the other. Sora continued to cry, finding that things didn't hurt so much with Riku's gentle hand whispering all the things the boy wanted to say, but couldn't.

--

Whew! That was intense. Let me apologize again about the huge delay. I know I may have taken things a smidge too far with this chapter, but I hope no one dislikes the story just because of that.

As always, reviews are welcome!

NEXT CHAPTER: Sora must try and explain himself to Riku, while trying to keep this sordid affair a secret from the people who really care about him. And what of Squall? Can he let things go so quickly? Stay tuned…


	4. Decouvert

Welcome back, faithful readers! I'm eager to get into this next chapter! Thanks for all your patience. I know this is a touch short, but the next chapter will more than make up for it in content!

**Note on the title: 'Decouvert: A French term meaning 'to uncover.'

Chapter 4: Decouvert

*-------*

Riku did his best not to say anything, but he was burning with questions. What had happened at the mysterious Squall's house? Why was Sora sobbing his poor heart out? And why did he look so awful upon turning the corner? Nevertheless, he kept his hand on Sora's back, gently comforting him.

"Can we go to the seawall?" Sora sniffled, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, still avoiding Riku's gaze. He desired nothing more than calm scenery to clear his messy head.

"…Yeah." The two drove on, reaching the ocean in a matter of minutes. "Listen Sora…I don't want to pry-"

"It's nothing." The brunette responded thickly, sniffling again.

"No, it's not nothing." Riku protested. He placed his hand on Sora's shoulder, turning the boy to face him.

"Get off of me!" Sora yelled loudly, scrambling to get out of the car, his features arranged into panic.

"Sora, what's wrong?"

The boy clutched at the door handle, breathing heavily, and tripped out of the car, landing face first on the concrete. He lay there for a moment, crying again, tense and afraid.

Riku jumped out of the car as fast he could, circling around and kneeling on one knee to help Sora up. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"No, alright? I'm fucking awful!" The reply was given to the concrete, as Sora had no desire to admit himself openly to Riku.

"Please get up. Let me help you." Riku did his best to be gentle, but it was difficult to know what the right course of action was when Sora was teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown.

Sora became quiet, pushing himself to a sitting position, turning away from Riku. He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head, and took several deep breaths before looking at the older boy.

"I'm just having some problems okay?" The words came out carefully, but sounded calm enough. "They're not anything you should worry your pretty head over."

"I see you're feeling up to sarcasm again. That's a start. You should get home before your mother worries." Riku stood up straight and extended his hand, but Sora merely sat on the ground, hardly able to accept this kind of help. Riku was a complete stranger, what could he possibly do for him?

Riku sighed. "Sora, please. Just…take my hand." Green eyes bore into the other boy's reedy frame, and Sora finally looked Riku full in the face. There was a moment's silence, and Sora reached out with one shaking hand and grasped Riku's, which closed firmly around his.

He let himself be pulled to his feet, but did not drop Riku's hand. Instead, the other boy embraced him briefly, trailing a hand through Sora's messy spikes. Sora relaxed, exhausted and he let himself revel in the comfort. At the gentle press of lips against his forehead, the younger boy blushed, but did not break away.

"We should get you home. Rai and your mother have both been looking for you.

Sora broke the contact, feeling stiff again. The two women must have sent Riku to find him. And while it was easier to lie to Riku, there would be no lying to his mom. Or Rai.

He was fucked.

*--------*

"Honey, where have you _been_?"

As he suspected, Rairune and his mother were waiting for him in the den when Riku finally got them home.

His mother was knitting-something she only did when she was nervous, which wasn't a good sign. Rairune was sipping from a glass of amber liquid, presumably whiskey. Both were staring expectantly at him.

"Tutoring, mom. It's Thursday, remember?" Riku couldn't help but notice the way Sora refused to meet his mother's eyes; instead focusing on the clock above the wall. It was nearly eleven.

Nozomi sighed, rubbing her temples, remaining silent. "Sora, baby, I wish you would-"

"What happened to your face, kid?" Rairune interrupted, setting down her glass and leaning forward.

The tension in the room couldn't have been cut with a knife. Nozomi was instantly up, cupping Sora's chin and studying the mark left by Squall's slap. Rairune stood as well but didn't move to him; she merely crossed her arms.

"We got into a fight."

All eyes were suddenly on Riku as he fought to keep from slapping a hand over his mouth.

"You hit my son?!" Nozomi was furious, letting go of Sora and storming right up to Riku, drawing herself to her full height.

Sora, however, stood there, blue eyes watering as Rairune charged past him and his mother and grabbed Riku by the shirt, a sneer on her face.

"Mom-Rai- I deserved it! Leave him alone!" Sora seemed to awaken out of his stupor, and tried to step between Rai and Riku, the latter looking something between mortified and frightened.

Nobody said anything, but Sora could see Rai's fingers tighten on Riku's shirt.

"No really, I said something awful and-"

"-I lost my temper. It was really wrong of me." Riku hung his head, hiding behind silver hair.

Sora swallowed. "I told him he wasn't welcome here. I said…I didn't want a fag dirtying my house." Again, the room went silent, everyone turning to regard Sora, even Nozomi.

"I'm sorry." Riku said, and Rairune let go of his shirt after a long moment.

"You lay another hand on him," Rai's gravelly voice was low and serious. "And I swear, kid, you'll be out 'o here, no questions."

Riku nodded and bowed low. "I apologize. There was no excuse for what I did, regardless of what Sora said to me." His voice hit the floor, but it was addressed to Nozomi.

The older woman sighed. "Are you alright, Sora?"

"Yeah, mom. It's nothing. We were both in the wrong." He hugged her, and Riku instantly felt something jealous curl inside of him. He'd never shared a moment so tender with either of his parents…he wondered if they'd even care if he came home with a bruise from a fight…

More sentiments were exchanged as Sora and Nozomi and Rairune all sat down on the couch, talking amongst themselves to ease the resulting tension.

Feeling incredibly stupid and unwelcome, Riku quietly went upstairs, and, curling up on his bed, tried not to cry.

*------*

_Tap. Taptaptap. _

Even if it hadn't been close to three in the morning, Riku was not expecting anyone in the house to come upstairs and talk to him. But he suspected it would be a sleepless night, and almost welcomed the company, even if it was someone lecturing him.

He expected Rairune, but he couldn't smell cigarette smoke, so he had decided that is must have been Nozomi. To his surprise, however, it was Sora standing on the threshold of his door, holding a tub of ice cream and two spoons.

"…I thought you might be up," the brunette said lamely, shrugging.

Riku said nothing, merely stood by to let him pass into his room. Once Sora has settled himself into his desk chair, he shut the door again and sat on the bed, unsure of what to say.

"I guess I owe you an explanation."

"Save it. I don't want to get in any deeper than I already am." Riku said thickly, facing away from Sora. It was obvious that the other had been upset for quite some time; a wave of guilt washed over Sora.

"Please," the word came out soft. "Just hear me out."

It was Riku's turn to feel guilty. In his self-pity, he'd forgotten how much Sora must have been hurting. "Fine." He raked a hand through silver hair, and Sora scooted his desk chair next to the bed, opening the ice cream and handing Riku a spoon. At his questioning look, Sora merely smiled.

"Mom says ice cream makes everyone feel better." The younger boy dug in, helping himself to a spoonful before speaking again.

"…What you did earlier…picking me up and telling that lie…thanks." Sora curled his legs beneath him, and while Riku wanted quite badly to interrupt and fish for details, he let the brunette continue at his own pace.

"If I had to tell mom about Squall, it could get us both in serious trouble. You sort of…took a bullet for us both." Sora spooned more ice cream into his mouth and fell silent. Riku took a bite as well, letting the frozen dairy melt in his mouth before asking his one burning question.

"Who exactly is Squall?"

"…A professor from school." Sora responded shamefacedly.

With that whispered statement, things suddenly clicked for Riku. The secretive, late night meetings and the 'tutoring' excuse. But none of these could explain the one question still glaring across Sora's face and neck: the bruises.

Though the room was only lit by Riku's computer screen, he could still see the shadows of the marks on poor Sora. "Well that explains a lot," he sighed, taking another spoonful of ice cream and chewing slowly. "And the bruises?"

"Squall could get…rough." Sora sighed, setting his spoon down on the bedside table.

"Rough?" Riku said sarcastically, practically slamming his own spoon down. He flipped on the lamp, throwing the Sora's bruises into relief. "He abused you, Sora!"

The other receded into his hoodie. "It wasn't like that," Sora's voice shook. "He's just…" he trailed off, swallowing back tears.

"Just nothing." Riku said bitterly. "He never had _any_ right to lay a hand on you." He muttered, curling his knees to his chest.

There was a silence in which Sora fully regarded Riku, drinking him in from his silken hair to the defined curves of his legs.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Riku raised his head and looked at the boy in utter confusion, arcing one slim eyebrow. Sora was bringing this up _now_? "…It just seemed like a good idea at the time." He shrugged, blushing.

"Oh…" Sora turned away, looking unsure of himself.

Riku smirked. "I couldn't help but notice the way you kissed back."

Sora's eyes went wide before narrowing into a glare. "Shut up. I got…caught up in the moment." At Riku's smirk, he snapped, "You're half the reason this happened." He gestured to the mark on his face.

"What did I do? It's not like he _saw_ us kiss."

Sora glared harder, before slumping his shoulders and sliding off his hoodie, to reveal his shirtless torso, allowing Riku to see what had really happened.

Most prominent was the mark at Sora's neck; it looked as though he'd been choked. Underneath it was a very obvious hickey that Sora had been referring to. His stomach and chest were covered in bruises and bite marks; some that were healing, others that looked incredibly recent.

Riku scooted to the edge of the bed, eyes clouded with worry. "…I…I'm not sure what to say," he uttered quietly, gently raising a hand and skimming his fingers across Sora's chest. "Oh, Sora…"

The other said nothing, but he looked away, trying not to shiver as Riku's fingers made contact with his skin.

"If you could not tell…" he trailed off lamely, his eyes focused on the lamp.

There was an immeasurable moment of silence before Riku finally met Sora's gaze, his brilliant green eyes over bright with tears, a few of them sliding down his cheek.

In one, fluid motion, Riku placed a large, pale hand against Sora's warm cheek, and softly kissed it. Neither boy could begin to guess at how long they stayed like that, but the compromise in the room was nearly as palpable as the sun that slowly rose, lighting the room in a bright, promising glow.

*=======*

Yikes, Sorry darling readers! I know this took FOREVER to post, but please understand that I'm a very busy girl! I write when I have the time, which is limited. However, I've already started on chapter five! Riku and Sora's relationship is just beginning, and there are so many kinks to work out! Please stay tuned for all the exciting twists and turns!

CHAPTER 5: Sora and Riku are finally recognizing their feelings for one another. Can they keep it casual, and most important of all, secret? And what about Sora? Is he too fragile for this kind of commitment? How far is he willing to push himself? Stay tuned…


	5. I Think I Can

Hello again readers! A big thanks to everyone who has stuck by me and kept along with my little tale.

NOTES: I realized my last draft of chapter four was absolutely ridden with typos! I apologize; I'll try to catch the little ones that get missed in spell check. ALSO! The following chapter contains slash and several references to hookah. I do not in any way encourage or advocate smoking! It just made for good storytelling. The usual disclaimers apply.

Chapter 5: I think I can

"…So much for the ice cream…" Riku quietly placed the melted tub of slush back in the freezer, smiling softly. Something big had just happened in his room, a wordless agreement between him and Sora.

After the near endless days of snide remarks and bitter silences, it seemed that the younger boy was finally succumbing to Riku's charm. For as much as Sora had been through, Riku felt both proud and privileged to be there to pick up the pieces.

He curled a fist at that thought. He felt bad for Sora, but there was a small part of him that was overwhelmed by his vast stupidity. An affair with a teacher, and an abusive one at that? Wouldn't a normal person have thought better, and run while they had the chance? What kind of relationship was that, anyway?

_No, Riku. It's not your place to judge. Just because everything you've ever been involved with was vapid and pointless doesn't mean that Sora was being _stupid…_have some compassion, you prick. _

Sighing at the intervention of his good side, Riku sat wearily at the table and placed his head on the cool surface, enjoying the early morning's silence. He hadn't forgotten the near violent way Rairune and Nozomi had responded to his lie last night, and wanted very much to have a moment or two to him self before he would be subjected to glares and cold shoulders.

He turned his head the other way, and noticed vaguely that the basement door was open. That must mean Rai was up. So much for peace and quiet.

A cough floated up from the basement, followed by another, and then a string of hacking, wheezing coughs, ending in a loud sputtered: "Damn!"

"Sweetie, if you _ever_ put those things out, don't you think you'd breathe easier?" Nozomi's kind voice drifted up the stairs.

"It ain't nothin', Zo." Was the grumbled response, and Riku could almost picture his landlord rolling her eyes and taking another drag on a cigarette. There was a clatter of footsteps as the two made their way upstairs, and Riku sat up straight, staring at the tabletop and hoping for a positive response.

Rairune emerged first, her hair gritty with sweat, dressed only in short shorts, a tight sports bra, and expensive looking running shoes. A black sweatband held her stringy hair out of her eyes, which immediately fell on Riku and began to scrutinize. Nozomi was right behind, in a soft pink sundress. The two seemed at odds with each other, but, despite their difference in appearance, Riku had never seen two women get along as well they did.

"Shirogane." Rairune said curtly, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water. She leaned against the counter, drinking deeply, while Nozomi flashed a hesitant smile in Riku's direction.

The dilemma was all too clear: Tell on Sora and save himself, or suffer in silence and keep the trust between the boys. Almost instantly, he remembered Sora's breakdown, and decided that it wasn't his place. After what Sora had experienced lately, Riku decided that he could handle a bit of rudeness for a while. It wasn't much of a sacrifice, but it would do.

"Don't you start work today?" The words seemed to be forced, but Riku could tell that Nozomi was trying her best.

"Yes, ma'am." He responded politely, smiling at her. He reached into his rumpled jeans, pulling out his wallet. "I won't be around for dinner, but I still wanted to pitch in for groceries." With that, he placed two twenties on the table, and stood; he nearly towered over the other two women.

"Seen Sora?" Rairune asked casually, draining the rest of her water. She had an eyebrow cocked at Riku, her mouth drawn down at the corner.

"Um…yes. He came upstairs to talk to me last night and fell asleep in my room." Figuring honesty was the best policy with Rairune; he looked her in the eye and kept his expression carefully neutral.

"About?"

"Our fight." Everyone in the room stiffened.

"I see." She crossed her arms. "And what exactly did he say to you that made you react so violently?" Her voice dripped with obvious skepticism.

Riku narrowed his eyes. She knew something more was going on then the rather lame excuse the boys had given last night, it was clear in the way her own eyes were hard and disbelieving. Either that, or she thought Riku to be a dirty liar. One could only hope for the former…

"…I told him I was gay." Riku dropped his gaze to the floor. Though it was true, he was by no means interested in being run out of the house.

Rairune made a small noise, and pushed past him into the hallway, but Nozomi approached him, a look of awareness dawning on her soft features. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry about what Sora said to you, but I'm still upset about your reaction."

"I understand-"

"No, you don't." Her voice had lost some of its bubbly joy, and was now firmer. "He's all I have, and I couldn't stand for anything to happen to him. I worry about him constantly…please…just…be careful with him." Her eyes, nearly identical to Sora's, blazed and bored into his, and all it was all Riku could do to nod wordlessly.

Again, that same jealous flame scorched his insides- his own mother didn't give a damn about his well being – but he swallowed it, and nodded again.

After that small confrontation, Nozomi returned happily to making breakfast, and Riku turned away to head back upstairs. "Food munny's on the table," he grumbled. At her grinned response, he exited, returning to his bedroom.

Sora was curled under his comforter, enjoying the window air conditioner that Riku had installed a few days previously. The boy was playing possum, or at least trying to.

"Air conditioning is nice," he murmured, rolling around in the bed to face Riku. "And your bed is so _comfy_!" He seemed at ease, smiling and scooting over to make room on the bed.

Riku half-smiled and gladly hopped in with him. There was an awkward moment of silence, before he leaned in and quickly gave Sora a peck on the lips.

"Uhm...thank you?" Sora replied, confused.

"What do you mean?" Riku mussed his hair. Sora's presence was very relaxing, and eased the tension of the incidents in the kitchen.

"I don't know…uhm, thank you for the kiss, it was…nice of you?" Sora still looked bewildered. "Hehe, I'm not all that good at being…intimate, I guess."

"You don't have to thank me for kissing you…but it's alright that I do, right?" Riku slid a surreptitious arm around Sora's shoulders.

The boy's tanned face grew pink. "I guess so…I mean, I like it, it's just…a little weird."

The two sat in comfortable silence for a while; the only noise the whir of the air-conditioner. Riku began dozing, the result of his sleepless night. As soon as he fell into a light sleep, Sora wiggled his way out of bed and left the room, to get back to his own bed, and his own thoughts.

He was certainly frightened at beginning anything new while still feeling so raw after what had happened with Squall? What if Riku got pushy, and started hitting him too?

_Use your brain, Sora, he _obviously_ cares about you. Look at the way he practically jumped under a bus for you last night! Rai nearly choked him and I'm sure your mother would have beat him with something…_

His shoulder angel had a good point. Riku was still practically a stranger, and how many strangers just went around saving the butts of other strangers?

_That's a good boy, keep rationalizing. You just don't want to be alone._

Sora had just reached the bottom of the stairs when his shoulder devil sniped at him, but he brushed it off, smiling. The phone trilled in the kitchen, interrupting his musings. He turned the hall to his room upon hearing his mother pick up the phone.

"I'm sorry, Sora's sleeping." She chirped.

"A book?"

Sora stopped dead.

"Oh…I'll be sure to let him know. Thank-" his mother was cut off, and there was a moment's silence before he heard the gentle click as she placed the receiver back down.

"Mom?" He called, feeling numb.

"Sweetie? I thought you were sleeping upstairs." She turned the corner, keys in hand.

"Yeah…who was on the phone?" He asked casually, focusing on the nametag pinned to her chest.

"Oh, it was your tutor, he said you left a book over at his house." She patted his shoulder, but Sora could barely feel it.

That particular excuse over the phone was always a direct summons to Squall's house. If he was still calling, than it meant Sora was in for it.

He swallowed past the knot of fear in his throat. "Oh…okay. I'll go get it later." With that, he turned and tried to resist the urge to run to his room.

"Honey…I didn't see you leave with any books last night." Her voice was laden with skepticism that glued his feet to the floor.

For a moment Sora was speechless as he struggled to come up with an excuse, looking everywhere but his mother's accusatory eyes.

Nozomi dropped her gaze, sighing. "We'll talk after work." Hugging him tightly, she left without another word.

Sora had spent the majority of the summer in a state of uncertainty, but that phone call had him dead sure about one thing: Even though he considered himself finished with Squall, Squall was by no means finished with _him._

*======*

"Ya look good, Shirogane."

Rairune was lounging on the couch when Riku emerged from his room, dressed in hip-hugging black jeans and a half-buttoned white collared shirt. His boss had said to keep it simple and dress in standard work-wear.

She hadn't even been home since the confrontation earlier that morning, but she was still dressed in workout clothes. It was slightly comforting to know that she was comfortable enough to lie around half-naked and defenseless around Riku.

It was something he was beginning to understand. Rai had a body that most personal trainers would kill for, but she didn't seem to care about looks or fitness. Maybe exercise was just a hobby. Riku longed to be as carefree as she seemed.

"Thanks Rai." The moment turned awkward. "You know…for everything." He was never very good at sentiments.

"No big." She stood, stretching. "You didn't hit him, did ya?"

It took a moment for it to set in. "What?" Riku was completely taken off guard.

"I ain't no fool. Sora wouldn't judge a guy just for being _gay_. Nor, do I think, the kid is the type to infuriate _anybody._" She smirked. "I know somethin's been goin' on with him, and I'm gonna find out what." With that, she looked at him, expecting a response.

"I'm sorry Rai. I can't tell you anything. That's not my place."

For a second or two, they glared at each other- Rai expectantly and Riku defiantly. When that had passed, she rolled her eyes and stalked off to the basement, leaving Riku feeling triumphant.

He made the drive to the bar, which was as empty as it was during his interview. There was only Paine, who was setting out ashtrays when he walked in.

"Hello, Shirogane. Ready to get started?" There was an edge of amusement to her voice that suggested he was really in for it.

"Sure." Riku grinned, feeling confident. So he'd pick up dishes. How hard could it be?

He had no idea.

*=====*

All in all, Riku had had better nights. The Nocturne got pretty busy after the sun went down, bringing most of the islands younger population, all of whom were looking for a good time. Apparently, Paine's nightclub was the place to be.

The newest craze to hit the island was the hookah, which Paine had invested in, much to her profit. She'd had her more experienced employees teach Riku how to set up and clean the water pipes, but he'd found it to be difficult. Instead, he'd spent most of the night picking up dishes or wiping out glasses. Occasionally, he would light a coal for a customer (usually a bubbly girl in too tight clothing) and would be offered the long hose and pipe, but he flirtatiously declined every time. Smoking was never a huge habit of his, even if the tobacco came in exotic flavors like mango and coconut.

Riku was quite grateful to get to the cool, still air outside after hours, driving slowly to savor the night air on his face. It wasn't long before it began to rain, a gentle shower that blanketed the island and muted the quiet hiss of the ocean. It gave him to think, and get his ducks in a row. His life was changing at light-speed, but he couldn't, no- _wouldn't_- ask for anything else. Finally, he was doing things the way _he_ wanted to- no set schedule, no itinerary, nobody's plans but his own.

It was bliss.

Parking neatly on the curb, he put the top up on the car, as the rain had begun to pick up significantly. He was halfway up the driveway before his tired brain processed that something was off.

Two people were standing on the porch, arguing vehemently. The house looked otherwise deserted; all the lights were off, which was unusual. It could have been the power again, but the residence had an empty feel to it. Ominous.

"…Don't want to see you anymore! I've had enough!"

Silence, and then, "Did you really think… this was about… what _you_ wanted?" The voice was low and intimidating, edged with annoyance.

The response was cautious, albeit firm. "I said it's finished. Just- leave me be."

Riku held stock still, but the cloak of rain kept him well hidden. The two participants were so absorbed in what was going on that it seemed his presence was not noticed.

"Please?" A tinge of desperation.

It was hard to hear the whispered response over the storm, but Riku's mind it in:

"This isn't over."

He had about a millisecond to get out of the way as Squall stormed off the porch and climbed onto his expensive looking motorbike. He was gone in a roar of the engine.

Hurrying, Riku made it up the driveway in record time to find Sora standing with his arms wrapped around himself, blue eyes narrowed.

"Are you…alright?" Riku gently turned Sora to face him. Silence ensued while Riku searched his face for answers. "Sora?"

Then and there, the trembling brunette pounced. He grabbed at Riku's shirt, crushing them together and ferociously kissing him, wasting no time with teasing foreplay, prying Riku's willing mouth open and giving his tongue free reign, gaining him a surprised moan from his soaking wet captive.

His clumsy hands drew up Riku's chest, undoing buttons and absorbing the silken feel of his skin. It took a second, but he finally got the shirt most of the way off, pausing for a moment before hungrily attack Riku's neck and chest, his mouth moving in ways Riku had never thought possible from the shy, timid boy.

It was like the roles had been switched. Sora was completely in control, and he made that quite clear when he grabbed at Riku's ass, squeezing and groping, as if determined to have his hands remember every inch of him.

"Sora…" Riku pulled back, gasping. "What's gotten into you?" He was barely able to get the last sentence out before his lips were crushed against Sora's again. He resisted the urge to give in and just let himself be molested, and pulled away again, this time grabbing Sora's hands and looking him in the eye.

"Slow down," he smiled, touching at his face.

The other was panting, and looked frightened, his eyes wide with lust and anger.

"We should go inside." He tried, kissing Sora lightly on the cheek.

Still, the other remained motionless.

"Sora?"

He nodded as thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance, and un-glued his hands from Riku.

With a smile, the other entered through the squeaky screen door and made his way to the upstairs bathroom to towel off. Sora had followed wordlessly and was leaning against the doorframe, too distracted by Riku's half-naked body to say much. His own clothes were damp from the impromptu make-out session, but there wasn't any need to change. He hoped to be naked and in Riku's bed as soon as possible.

"Where is everyone?" Riku asked casually, stripping down to his boxers and tossing them into his clothes hamper.

"Out," was the listless response.

Riku paused in the middle of toweling off. "Just out?"

"I'm sorry, I've just never been so hard in my life." Sora stared Riku down, who watched the boy's growing blush.

"Sora…what?" His initial response was to cover up, but instead, he closed the toilet lid and gestured for the horny brunette to take a seat.

"I'm sorry, it's just…I've done a lot of thinking lately…and…I think I'm ready to move on. With you." He wrapped his arms around himself again, as if self-conscious.

Sighing, Riku leaned against the sink. "Are you sure you can…handle this? After everything you've been through?" '_And are _still_ going through?' _ His brain added as an afterthought.

There was a long silence in which each boy thought intensely about the other, weighing options and futures and fantasies. If Riku just jumped Sora like he really wanted to, he had no idea if the other would be okay afterwards. On the other hand, the way the young brunette had acted and the lude comments he kept making were just begging him to ditch rational thought and fuck him senseless.

Sora on the other hand, was doing his best to ignore the raging battle between his shoulder angel and devil. They were speaking in third person, which worried him. Normally they spoke directly to him, each waiting to hear the other's argument, but this time, a full on war was going.

_-still too fragile to get back into-_

_-the boy deserves a goddamn break, just let him-_

_-don't know what Riku is capable of-_

_-wouldn't kill him to forget his problems for one-_

_-won't solve anything! It's only sex!-_

_-It's only sex. Nothing big. Enjoy it, Sora.-_

For once, he didn't feel guilty siding with the devil. If anything happened, it was just sex, just like with Squall.

_Don't compare this him!_ His shoulder angel hissed. _Riku is special!_

Both sides had valid points. Riku was special. Could he handle this? Was he even willing to?

Riku waited patiently, keeping his eyes on Sora the entire time, waiting for the answer with baited breath.

Finally, he looked up at Riku, his eyes light with something unrecognizable.

"Well?" Riku asked, anxious. "Do you think you'll be able to handle this?"

"…Yeah. I think I can."

With that, Riku took his hand, and the two retreated to his bedroom, to let the chips fall where they may.

*=============*

Ahhhhh! I did it! I promised myself I would get this posted before 2009, and it's only 11:40 on New Year's Eve! Hooray for me! =D

Anyway, a huge thanks to everyone who keeps along with my story!!! It's for you guys that I keep writing! Also, a big thanks to everyone who has commented on my grammar/usage! I'm glad all those years of creative writing classes paid off! I owe most of the inspiration for this chapter to the song "I think I can" by The Pillows. It's a great song, go look it up! I hope everyone has a great new year!

CHAPTER SIX: Sora and Riku have consummated their relationship for the first time, but will their paradise remain trouble free? With Squall seeming to lurk around every corner, the two will have to fight for each other. Is Sora willing to risk Riku's safety for his own selfish needs? Stay tuned!

Until next time! =D


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